Lewis Hamilton says that he will need to be ‘patient and realistic’ at Mercedes this season, and not to expect too much too soon.

Hamilton, who visited the Mercedes factory in Brackley this week, says, "I think it’s important to be patient and realistic," he said. "You’ve got to remember that the way F1 has gone over the years, with the car evolving each year and how long it takes to find one second throughout the season - and knowing that Mercedes were 1.1 seconds behind in Brazil - that it’s going to be very difficult for them to gain two seconds in three months.

"So I’ve just got to be wary of that, but I know that the guys are working as hard as they can and every little bit counts. This is a marathon, not a sprint. It’s looking like the long haul. I hope we can be competitive this year; If we arrive at the first race and we are at the front it’s going to be spectacular, but if we’re not, then we just have to keep on working at it."

Lewis Hamilton at Brackley

"Hopefully in those first days I’ll have quite a good impact as I’ll be able to compare one car to the other and say what we do and don’t have," he added. "I’ll be able to say how the car is and how it could be better.

"But it’ll take some time to dial in and get up to speed because they’ve got different controls on the steering wheel, different settings, a different set-up, and different characteristics of aero balance. I don’t know how long it’ll take for me to dial those in but I’m on top of it and I’m ready to get going."

Copyright 1999-2018 | AutoRacing1 is an
independent internet online publication and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed
by IndyCar, NASCAR, FIA, or any series sponsor.
This material may not be published, broadcast, or redistributed without
permission.